Need a Project? Here Comes a Long Weekend!

Photo by Amy Wing

I am lucky enough to be scooting out to the coast this weekend for a little sand between my toes. I am hoping the weather cooperates and we can leave our raincoats at home.

Last time we were there my friends and I cooked up a simple bowl of mussels which we enjoyed with wine, asparagus, and a loaf of crusty bread. It was beachy perfection! (Aren't these photos fabulous? Amy Wing, of Amy Wing Designs took them.)

We aren't sure what we will be creating this weekend, but I have some ideas!
I can see these being nibbled on the deck before dinner with a glass of cold rose wine.
Or these mini german pancakes for breakfast!

I love long weekends for cooking projects. Here are a few ideas: 
1.) Homemade Cream Cheese and then whip up some Rhubarb Rugalach.
2.) I don't know about you, but I have still have some frozen berries left over from last spring. I am going to set up a bottle raspberry and strawberry Drinking Vinegar to infuse while away. They will be ready for cocktails when the sun come back out!
3.) I feel that you can never have enough wontons!

Enjoy! And if you haven't done so, please check out my give away here.

Making Kefir

A few months ago, I attempted to transition my baby to cow's milk.
This did not well.
Levi really wants nothing to do with  "moo milk".  Luckily, he loves plain yogurt, so he was getting plenty of goodness from that, but I wanted Levi to try something new, kefir.  Kefir is another cultured dairy product full of probiotics. It is like a drinkable yogurt, tangy and a little sweet. I loved it while pregnant and figured little man would too. Since we are hooked on other Nancy's dairy products I went to Nancy's for kefir. Blueberry kefir!
Levi gobbled it up. Sadly, I realized that spending nearly $5 a quart was gonna make us broke, but I didn't want to give up on our new found culinary treasure. So, I read up on making kefir and learned it is a pretty simple process - all I needed was the kefir grains. Again I turned to a local shop, Mr. Green Beans, for the grains. (This shop has everything you would need for yogurt, cheese, soaps and especially coffee roasting. Love the place!)

Turns out kefir is really, really easy to make. And delicious! And the best part, you can make it with skim or whole milk. Levi drinks the whole milk and I use to skim (which is thick and rich) for smoothies, drinking or in cooking.

This isn't really a recipe, just some pics to show what I do. I make about 3 - 4 pints a week. Each batch takes MAYBE 5 minutes of hands-on time. I am saving money, even buying organic milks.

Have you ever had kefir? Have you ever made it?

These are the grains right out of the package. It took about 2 weeks before they really kicked it into kefir making gear. 

I add milk, stir, and then cover with a coffee filter and a canning ring. I leave it on the counter overnight and then keep in the fridge for another 12-24 hours. 

I strain it through a tea strainer. You have to catch the kefir grains to add to the next batch. Rumor has it they will multiply over time and I will have some to share! 

Thick, tangy, yummy kefir! I add about a teaspoon of jam to each pint to give it a fruit flavor.

Then add the kefir grains to a clean pint jar, add fresh milk, cover and the process begins again.

Who Knew?

This is a fun article from the Seattle PI about some interesting food origins. Thought I would share!

Homemade Cream Cheese

Well, our two days of Summer weather was nice. We are back to a gray haze. I have to admit there is something comforting about the blanket of clouds tucked around us, but, I would like that blue sky again soon.

I made cream cheese! :)

For my cooking class we made ricotta cheese, which is very simple. Just simmer milk with buttermilk or a little vinegar until curds form. Drain whey through a cheese cloth or tea towel. The result is a delicious cheese!

On our recent vacation to Sunriver, Justin and I listened to older Splendid Table podcasts. In one Lynne mentions using the ricotta cheese method to create cream cheese, but use higher fat dairy. I had a few extra cups of cream and half and half from my class, so I gave it a whirl.

The results were FABULOUS! The cream cheese is rich, creamy and tangy.
We have been mixing it with fresh herbs and chunky salt for a cracker spread and dipping perfect Hood Strawberries into it.

I am tempted to try some more rugelach with the leftovers, maybe with peaches and almonds? This made a HUGE amount of cream cheese!

Homemade Cream Cheese
1 quart heavy cream
1 quart half and half
2 tablespoons white vinegar (or lemon juice) or a pint of buttermilk
salt

1. In a large sauce pan bring dairy and vinegar to a simmer. When curds start to form (they will be very small chunks), turn off heat and let rest for 20 minutes.
2. Line a strainer with a non-fuzzy towel, pillowcase, or multiple layers of cheese cloth. Place in sink or over a LARGE bowl (if you want to save the whey).
3. Gently pour cheese curds and whey into strainer. Allow to drain for one hour. You may have to twist and squeeze the towel to help the whey drip out.
4. Refridgerate for at least an hour before using.

Other cheese making projects:
Homemade Mozzarella (2008)
Yogurt Cheese (2011)

Coffee Beans

My neighborhood is getting more and more great shops! Yesterday, while walking with Levi, I wandered into Mr. Greenbeans. What a find of a shop! Not only do they have a large selection of green coffee beans for the home roaster (and all sorts of roasting paraphanalia), they also have tons of home preserving supplies. I saw kefir, kombucha, yogurt, and exotic sour dough starters. I am now pondering trying the different yogurt starters to discover the flavor differences. There was also soap making supplies, canning jars, and cheese making kits!

The owners were so friendly. They mentioned that they will soon be having cheese making classes and selling their own roasted coffee. I can't wait to try it. Ever since Blue Gardenia closed Justin and I have been on the hunt for small batch roasted coffee. (Why yes, I am a coffee snob! :) )

Currently, we are really liking Clive Coffee.We met the owners at a fundraising event while I was pregnant.  They generously gave me a pound of the decaf. I think decent decaf coffee is difficult to find and Clive's was spot on. Rich and delicious. You wouldn't know you were drinking decaf if someone didn't tell you.

We are now enjoying their regular coffee - we are partial to the Ethiopian Yurgicheffe bean right now. The beans are very reasonably priced for the quality. Stumptown will always be a favorite, but it has been fun trying small roasters around town.

Any other coffee recommendations? Have you ever roasted your own coffee? How did it turn out?

Homemade Drinking Vinegar

Anyone who has visited my house knows my obsession with drinking vinegars. I offer a bubbly fruit/tart drink up to anyone who sits at my table. It can take some convincing of first timers that this vinegar does really taste wonderfully refreshing. They are growing in popularity, especially here in Portland. Pok Pok, a terrific authentic Thai restaurant, has made drinking vinegars practically mainstream.

I written about them before, and even made a cocktail using apple drinking vinegar in my Food Network application video. I have been purchasing bottles of fruit flavored vinegars at the Asian market. Apple, lemon, and strawberry vinegars have been my favorite.

Strawberry and peach drinking vinegars. The raspberry was drank very fast!

Drinking vinegars, from what I can tell, have a history in both the American South and all over Southeast Asia. It is a syrup created with fruit, fruit juices, a base vinegar and sweetened with sugar. When mixed with bubbly water it makes a sweet tart soda. Add a splash of gin or vodka and you have a fabulous cocktail.

I have been thinking about attempting homemade drinking vinegar for a while. Being pregnant, and off the cocktails, encouraged me to come up with interesting nonalcoholic drinks. A kitchen counter filled with u-pick strawberries, raspberries and peaches was all I needed to push me into experimentation.

The whole process took a week, but really only about an hour of hands-on time. I am very pleased with the results - sweet, tart, and fruity. Any juicy fruit would work. I can't wait until fall to try an apple and pear flavored vinegar. This is a pretty loosey-goosey recipe, but just adjust sugar to match your tastes.

Homemade Drinking Vinegars - makes about one quart
1 pint fruit, or 2 cups chopped stone fruit
3-4 cups white vinegar (I think a rice vinegar would work well too)
1 1/2 - 2 cups white sugar

1. In a clean quart jar add fruit and smoosh with a spoon until juice is released. Top off the jars with vinegar. Push fruit under the vinegar if it floats.
2. Cover the top with a clean cloth napkin and secure with a rubber band. Leave in a cool place for one week. (At this point you have a fruit vinegar for salad dressings)
3. Strain vinegar to remove fruit solids into a sauce pan. You should have about 3 1/2 cups of liquid.
4. Add sugar and bring mix to a boil for 5 minutes. It should thicken a bit.
5. At this point I would do a taste test. Mix 3 tablespoons with a large glass of seltzer. Is it sweet enough? If not, add more sugar and boil until the sugar melts.
6. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge. Use as needed.

PS. A yummy cocktail recipe: In a large glass mix 3 tablespoons of strawberry drinking vinegar, shot of vodka, squeeze of lime and top with seltzer.

Flowers, Hats and Pins

When I am not cooking, gardening, working or playing outside I love being crafty and creative.

I been making felt flowers which can be worn as brooches, hair pins, or rubber bands. I recently decided to attach my flowers to some hats as well. These are all hand cut and sewn from recycled felt.

Need to spiff up your winter coats? I have flowers for that!
Want to decorate your hair for a party? I have flowers for that!


Need a new fall hat? I have that too!


Interested? Email me, leave a comment, or visit my website.

Pickled Green Tomatoes

As summer rolls, okay rolled a few days ago, to a close, my garden is still sporting some green tomatoes. This always frustrates me, you can only eat so many fried ones. Once I do that, I am resigned to imagining the luscious fruit they could have been.

This year I decided to do an experiment. I adore pickled green tomatoes, but have a hard time plopping $8 down for a jar. They remind me of lunches with my grandparents. My grandma always stocked up on pickles when we flew to Florida for a visit, and the green tomatoes were always the first to get eaten.

I went with a basic kosher dill recipe. This is ridiculously easy. Salt water, dill, garlic and some spices are poured over the tomatoes, to top covered with a cloth, and left to ferment in a cool corner for a few days. After 5 days I felt they reached the perfect level of bubbly, pickle goodness. Now they are waiting in the fridge for a tuna sandwich lunch.


Pickled Green Tomatoes
1 large crock or jar
green tomatoes (not even a tiny bit red!), quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons pickling spices
1 large handful of fresh dill, with seed head if possible
3 tablespoons kosher salt
4 cups of water, or enough to cover the tomatoes in the jar. If you need more then one additional cup of water, double the salt water mixture.

1. Heat water and salt until salt is disolved.
2. Pack jar with quartered green tomatoes. Add dill, garlic and pickling spices.
3. Pour salt water brine over tomatoes.
4. Cover jar opening with a cloth held on with a rubber band.
5. Store in a cool corner of the kitchen. Taste after 3-4 days. The liquid will be a little cloudy, and there will bubbles on the top. When the pickles taste good to YOU, put jar in the fridge. Eat within 2 weeks.

Dealing with the Garden's Bounty

Every Fall I fall back into my Sunday morning routine. After assessing the week's harvest I get to work. I heat the oven to 250 degrees, pour a cup of coffee, turn on NPR and start slicing. With my pug at my feet, I prepare as many trays as I can of sliced roma tomatoes for roasting. Once those have started I move onto preparing peppers for broiling, tomatillos for saucing, and zucchini for whatever I can come up with.

Roasting takes a while, so while I wait the few hours for a set to finish I can snuggle up to read the paper, clean up the house, get yogurts ready for the week, bake or just relax.


Tomatoes
Once the tomatoes are dried and sweet, I fill 2-cup freezer bags with them. Label and lay flat in the freezer. These are my gold mines all winter. Once defrosted they are equally delicious tossed with olive oil and salt for a cheese plate as in any soup. Roasted Tomato Jam is also wonderful!

Any additional tomatoes get roughly chopped, thrown into a sauce pan. Cook until bubbling and soft, about 20 minutes. I run these through my food mill, which removes the skin and seeds. Pour this into freezer bags, and mark. These is a base for pasta sauces, braises, or soups.

This year I am hording my Russian Black tomatoes for salad and eating. They are so delicious.


Tomatillos
I have tomatillos coming out of my ears! Last year I made the mistake of only planting one bush. At the end of the summer I had a lovely, huge flowered covered bush, but no tomatillos. This year, I planted two. They are going gang busters. After canning some enchilanda sauce and eating a ton of green salsa, I have started roasting the rest.
To roast, remove papery hull and wash sticky residue. Slice in half and lay cut side up on a roasting pan. Roast at 250 until a little brown on the edges and juicy in the middle. I have frozen these just like this, or food milled them into a sauce. Now I have enchilanda sauce base ready to go. Or a tortilla soup base. Or a cooked salsa recipe base. MMMMM.


Peppers
I have roasting my spicy (ish) peppers and freezing whole. I already threw a few of those into corn chowder with great results.
The sweeter peppers are blackened under the broiler. Cooled, peeled and sliced. In a tupperware I add salt, rice vinegar and a touch of olive oil. Marinate the peppers in that for a day or so. These are delicious on pretty much everything!

These are a few of my idea for making sure the bounty from the garden sticks around all winter. I would love to hear some other ideas.

PS. Here is a pickle recipe from last summer.

Your Mission - Fig Jam

Summer is coming to an end. It isn't the back to school ads that tipped me off, it was the figs filling up the grocery shelves. It almost makes the end of summer palatable. Almost. (The Halloween decorations are another story. I suppose I should be thankful that the Christmas decorations aren't out quite yet. I digress.)

Portland is packed with yellow fig trees. In a few weeks the neighborhood will be carpeted with fallen figs and yellow jackets. I wish I could say that these were delicious, but I can't. I have yet to find a way to make them really enjoyable. Any Ideas?

My heart belongs to the California Mission Figs. Black/ purple beauties with a sweet floral flavor. Lots of little seeds that remind me of eating fig newtons as a kid. I buy them by the pound, nearly daily, when they are in season.


Yesterday I found mission figs on sale for $3 a pound. I bit the bullet and bought 8 pounds. 8 POUNDS... what was I thinking? Once faced with 8 pounds of sweet, sweet figginess I realized there was no way to eat all of these AND actually leave the house. I have been wanting to try fig jam and felt it was now or never.

I am not going to walk you through the actual canning of jam. I followed basic jam canning protocol. If you are unsure of your canning ability, try this recipe out with a friend or family member who is a practiced canner. I tried to teach a friend how to can, and she didn't speak to me for weeks afterward, so I would pick your teacher carefully.

That said, this is a super simple recipe. There is no pectin, a small amount of sugar and the sweet fig flavor shines through. I made two batches. In the first batch I quartered all the fruit, it turned out more like a preserve. In the second I pureed it, which made a thick jam. Both taste delicious!


Fig Jam
I needed 7 pint jars for the quartered figs and 8 for the pureed - sterilized
new lids and rings for each jar - sterilized
4 pounds figs - pureed or quartered
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 lemons, zested and juiced.

1. In a large soup pot add water and sugar. Simmer until sugar is melted.
2. Add 2 pounds of the figs. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. After about 15 minutes the figs will turn a beautiful shade of purple and it will start to thicken.


3. After 30 minutes add the rest of the figs and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until all the figs are cooked and the jam is thick.
4. Add lemon juice and zest, stir in well.

At this point the jam is ready to be spooned into your sterilized jars and sealed.

This jam is wonderful on goat cheese.
Other fig ideas:
Roasted figs with marscarpone cheese
Pizza with figs, blue cheese, and argula

How do you eat figs?

Make Your Own Flowers

I am desperately waiting for Spring to spring here in Oregon! Mother Nature is a merciless tease. Last night I was toasting in the sunshine atop Portland's newest rooftop bar, Departure Lounge. This morning I am watching the rain fall from the gray skies. While waiting for sun to come out for good I have been keeping myself busy. When I am not tinkering in the kitchen I love doing little art projects.

Most recently I have been making little flower pins from recycled felt. I have been pinning them on my coats, tops, belts and in my hair.
Lucky me, I was featured on the lovely website Effortless Anthropologie!

Interested in some flowers for your hair? Email me.

Little Miss Muffet

Over a year ago, I was given a cheese-making kit by my best friend. We had both read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and fell in love with the idea of eating locally and trying to make our own cheese. We started focusing on local eating immediately, but it took nearly a year for us to get around to actually making the cheese.

We were armed with a gallon of organic whole milk and the cheese kit. Our goal was a batch of mozzarella.The directions for the 30 minute mozzarella were easy to follow. I highly recommend the cheese kit.

After heating the milk with rennet and salt, we separated the curd from the whey.














Then we heated up the curd in the microwave for 1 minute at a time, each time kneading the cheese. We kneaded the cheese over a strainer to continue straining more yellowish whey.


















And then as if by magic, it became stretchy mozzarella cheese! Wha - La!














Homemade mozzarella tastes great, but the texture is a little different then store bought. It melts really well and made a fabulous lasagna. I would eat the same day you make it because the next day it dries out.

Candied Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts, also called filberts, are an Oregon specialty. According to Wikipedia the nut producing trees are found all over Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus, but Oregon is one of the top hazelnut producers in the United States.
Hazelnut fields are absolutely beautiful. Trees are planted in a grid form, so as you drive or walk by there are shaded "halls" between the trees which go as far as your eye can see. It is my favorite part of driving to the Willamette Valley wine country.

Last week, Justin and I stumbled upon a huge bin of local hazelnuts on sale. Neither of us eat a lot of nuts. Justin is picky about them, and I think I am slightly allergic, but I couldn't pass them up.

This morning the nuts were calling for me to do something with them. I decided to try my hand at a candied nut.
After making a paste of powdered sugar, salt and water roll the nuts in it until they are covered. These are then popped into the oven for a few minutes until the sugar becomes dark and caramelized. Whatever you do, NO NOT PICK UP A HOT CANDIED NUT, even if it falls on the floor and your furry organic vaccum cleaner is diving for it too. I have 2 large blisters on my thumb and pointer finger. But, the pug is fine.

Candied, Salted Hazelnuts
2 cups of whole or halved hazelnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Parchment paper is also helpful.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl rinse off the hazelnuts and drain most of the water. Dump the sugar and a teaspoon of salt on top of the nuts. Using your hands mix it all up until the sugar forms a sticky paste that is coating the nuts. Spread the nuts on a rimmed cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes. Then carefully stir the nuts and sugar. If the sugar is not dark and bubbling put it back in the oven for another 5-8 minutes.

When done, carefully stir the mix again, and then while still hot spread the nuts onto the parchment paper. Please be careful, molten sugar is dangerous!
Sprinkle the rest of the salt over the nuts and let cool.

When cool wrap up in pretty paper and give to friends and neighbors or mail it to the poor folks that don't live in hazelnut country!

Snowy Day

Today we woke up to a flurry of snowflakes. As the day has continued the snow is falling more and more heavily. Thankfully, I planned ahead for a house-locked snowy day. Doug and I attempted a walk this morning, but the wind and his little feet were just too cold to continue.

I spent the morning finishing up holiday food gifts:
1. Blueberry jam: It is way better to cook up jam on a freezing day then on a sweltering summer day. I used the berries Justin and I had picked and frozen this summer. It is a spoonful of summer!
2. Pickled cauliflower
3. Honey roasted pear butter: 2o pounds of pears isn't going that far...I thought I had picked more then we could ever use up. Oh well, only special people will get some of the pear butter.
4. Mulling spice mix for our homemade pinot noir: The homemade wine tastes a bit better with the mulling spices.

A chicken is in the oven, wine is mulling on the stove, the fire is on, and I eating cookies.
We may survive the ARTIC BLAST 2009!


If we are home on a **SNOW DAY*** tomorrow, we plan on making wontons. Won tons are a family tradition to make on snowy days. I can't wait to write it up.

Mushroom Hunting for Chanterelles

Today, we spent a VERY rainy day tromping through the old growth forest. (See how soggy I am?!)

We were looking for the golden treasures of the forest, the golden chanterelle. They were hard to find because the fall leaves carpeting the forest floor were the same shades of gold. But, in the end we did get lucky with about 5 pounds of chanterelles!

Now, what are we going to do with all of them? I am planning a chanterelle, garlic and goat cheese pasta, maybe some chanterelle empandas.
Any other ideas?

Roasted Tomato Jam

Hopefully you now have a freezer full of roasted of tomatoes - if not get yourself out to the garden and collect what is left on the vines before the first freeze!
This recipe is adapted from one that was run in Food Day, but after a quick Google I have learned I am pretty late to the tomato jam love affair. Other recipes can be found here, here and here. You don't have to believe me, trust the web, this is an underutilized condiment. I have been adding the tomato jam to sandwiches, topping mozzerella on a cracker, on fried eggs or a burger. Can you tell I LOVE it?

My recipe starts with the previously mentioned roasted tomatoes. Lacking those, go for a handful of sundried tomatoes that have not been packed in oil. I have seen these near the pastas at Trader Joes.

Roasted Tomato Jam
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped small, but not too finely
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup roasted or dried tomatoes, chopped coursely
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes OR a large can of diced tomatoes (drained)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

In a large frying pan, caramelize onions in a drizzle of olive oil over medium - low heat. This should take at least 15 minutes. I like to put this on the back of the stove and cook dinner or something.
When the onions are beginning to caramelize add the crushed garlic, chopped roasted tomatoes, chopped fresh tomatoes, and water. Let this cook down for about 30 minutes until the it begins to thicken a bit. Add vinegar and sugar and cook 5 minutes more. If it looks like this give it another 5-10 minutes until everything cooks down a bit more. The finished jam is darker then this... but the flash makes it look lighter.
Spoon the finished jam into a jar or lidded bowl. It will last 2-3 weeks in the fridge.

PS. Can you tell I learned how to link! :)

Roasted Tomatoes!

Hurray!
First of all, thanks so much to my 3 new followers! Hello!

This year, I had a definite tomato shortage. The 9 plants I planted decided it was too much work to make more then a few tomatoes. But, the tomato gods have been smiling on me! My very kind neighbor is swimming in lovely little roma tomatoes. She has given me free range to harvest to my hearts content. The plants are so happy I have been picking about 5 pounds every few days.

After one pot of sauce (which I shared with the neighbor) I started roasted batch after batch of tomato. Roasted concentrates the tomato flavor, making it sweeter and more, well, tomatoey. I roast them with a little olive oil and salt, but adding garlic, onions, or different spices would also be wonderful.

I have been freezing the batches of tomatoes in ziplock bags. This way I can pull out a handful whenever needed. I either defrost on the counter, or throw into the microwave for about 30 seconds. Throw these little babies onto of mashed potatoes, into a soup, on a cracker with goat cheese, or use them to make the best tomato sauce or tomato jam you have ever tasted!
(Tomato Jam recipe to follow!)

Roasted Tomatoes
Use smallish tomatoes with a low moisture content for the best roasting results. That said, this is also a great way to use up a bowl of cherry tomatoes when they are coming out your ears.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Cut tomatoes in half and spread up cut-side-up onto a baking sheet. (My brilliant friend suggests using parchment paper to make clean up easier. I am not this smart, sadly.)
2. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt. I like to use kosher salt. If you are adding garlic cloves or other spices add these to the pan now
3. Roast for about an hour. Check on them after 45 minutes. If they are looking burnt turn down the heat to 250 degrees. When the tomato edges start to curl inward and look dry they are probably done. They should be the consistency of sun-dried tomatoes.

Salt, Dill and Sunshine

I am sure my love all of all things pickled started at a young age with my family's annual visits to Florida to see my grandparents. My brother and I would mostly eat and swim (and avoid the cheek pinches that comes standard in all Fort Lauderdale retirement villages to anyone under the age of 22).
Lunch, served promptly at noon, would always include pickled green tomatoes or some kosher dills. My grandmother would exclaim to anyone that would listen (and this being the retirement village, most would!), that her grandchildren were eating her out of house and pickle.
"A jar a day!" she would exclaim, her voice full of pride.
We no longer make our annual voyage to Florida for our grandparents or the pickles, and I miss both. Up until a few years ago, I always knew my birthday would mean a jar packed with homemade pickles from my aunt. Her kosher dills were almost as good as the East Coast pickles. But, nothing will ever quite taste like the lunches eaten in soggy bathing suits, on Corningware dishes in the sunny kitchen with my grandparents.
Nonetheless, a girl needs her pickles. I had to keep myself supplied somehow.
12 phone calls, 3 pickling books, and one visit to my aunt later I now have jars of dilly beans, half sour pickles, and spicy pickled cauliflower waiting to join me at lunch.

Refrigerator Dilly Beans
These beans are meant to be kept in the fridge. If you use new, boiled lids, they will seal but, for food safety's sake, keep them in the fridge. If you like them spicy, add some chili flakes.
Start with:
2 large mouth quart jars, hot and sterilized
Pack with:
Enough trimmed, cleaned green beans to fill the jars. Stand them upright in the jar.
Divide the flavorings equally between the 2 jars, pack them among the beans:
2 heads of dill
4 garlic cloves, smashed, but not chopped
2 tablespoons pickling spices
2 inches of horseradish root, divided
2 bay leaves
10 black pepper corns (approximately) :)
chili flakes (if desired)

Boil until salt and sugar disolve:
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons canning salt
1/4 cup white sugar

Pour the hot liquid over the beans. Leave 1 inch of head room at the top of the jar. Seal with a lid and ring. Once cool, store in the refrigerator.
I tasted mine 12 hours later and they were great. The horseradish keeps the beans crisp.

PS. For some reason the horseradish turns the garlic bright blue after a few days. I have no idea why this happens, but it is safe to eat. No worries!

PSS. I pickled the cauliflower using left over brine. I packed the cauliflower with chile flakes, curry powder, pickling spices, and blackpepper. Then covered with the brine. Spicy!

For the Love of Spice

I love spices.
I love herbs.
I love that I can walk into my garden and return with handfuls of cilantro, parsley, oregano, or lemon balm. Sadly, my love of spices just means piles of poorly marked, half full plastic baggies. We are getting ready for our annual BBQ rib cook-off and in the planning came to the realization that I can't find ANYTHING in the spice area! $10 of duplicated bulk spices later, I decided something had to be done.

I thought about the magnetic spice jars, but after seeing the price tag I reconsidered. I wouldn't be able to afford any spices if I bought that set. After some more research, I settled on 2 watchmaker's kits. Each metal box holds 12 metal jars with glass tops. Each jar hold about 4 Tablespoons. I kinda wish it held a bit more, but honesty, it will make sure I have fresh spices.

Now I am organized and ready to start cooking! I think the spices all look so pretty tucked together. I used a paint pen to write on the glass tops. You can scratch it off to change the titles as you rotate through your spices.

Before and After
Notice all the baggies wedged on the bottom shelf!




All neat and tidy it is now!